A mad half hour!

I'm back home, just in time to hear Wayne Rooney score against Derby County in tonight's FA Cup commentary match on Five Live. I've been out on the marsh eel fishing. I arrived a little after 16.15 hrs and had three rods cast out, over a scattering of freebies (Bluey and Sprat sections), within fifteen minutes. Before I left home Bev had questioned my sanity - "Why would anyone want to go fishing in that?" The howling wind, gusting around the bungalow - Storm Gertrude was announcing her arrival. It is ridiculously mild, the temperature a constant 11C and conditions look good for another session after eels. "I've got to push myself - or I'll learn nothing!" being my response as I was packing my gear into the car.

Two Duncan Kay's with ABU 66X's in a very tight little swim. Angled needles with light weight monkeys
being as simple as I need it - reels set up with open bail arms.

Am I glad I went? You bet - I had a very special learning experience, discovering more about the feeding habits of these fascinating fish during the colder months. I was fishing one of the, three, spots that I'd pre-baited last week. I hadn't introduced any further bait, since last Monday, until I arrived today. Sunset was predicted to be 16.39 hrs - probably was, but it was so grey and overcast, that it simply got darker as the never ending banks of thick clouds scudded across the heavens. Wind driven, light rain, meant that I, and my gear, got soaked as darkness fell. Almost 17.30 hrs and my right-hand rod was away;  a screaming take which resulted in a "bumped" fish. As I was sorting out the re-baiting, my left-hand buzzer announced a bite - resulting in an eel of a pound, or so, visiting the landing net. I had just got both these rods back in the water, when the middle rod was away - an absolutely screaming take which saw me striking into thin air. Quickly re-cast, the same rod was away again within 15 minutes - same result!

A very small eel in my 42" landing net - the Stanley craft knife to give scale (and to cut up dead baits!)

Four bites in, little more than, 30 minutes and then nothing! My February eel seems just a formality; turn up and go through the motions - unless we experience another "Ice Age" I can see nothing, apart from a lack of focus, preventing me capturing my February eel quite early in the month. I packed up just after 19.00 hrs and have spent the majority of time thinking about what had just happened. I'm firmly convinced that these fast takes are those of small eels and my rigs and bait size are not suited to their very small mouths?
I will wait, until the end of the season, before I offer any form of summary of my thoughts and methodology. Off out pike fishing, with Benno, on Sunday morning; back down the RMC. Should be a bit of a social as we've a few things to get sorted out prior to our next adventure.